A Thanks to the RND Community

[Tiger Guy]

For those who know me, you would probably assume that it would be out of place for me to make a post like this. But I feel like making one since it's been looming on my mind for a few months now.

I would like to thank everyone in the RND community. Even the people that I didn't like at one point. You guys helped define my late childhood/early adulthood.

Before I got into the RND community, I was a total newbie as this whole computer gaming/gaming community thing. I honestly did not know what I was getting myself into when I first opened up GMOD six years ago. The only experience I had of it was of a friend at school telling me about it.

I hopped around a few servers, but none really caught my eye. It wasn't until I joined the RND ZS server that I discovered a server that I enjoyed for the gameplay and the people in it. I might still have the piece of paper I wrote the forum URL on in my room, unless if my mom threw it away.

When I joined the forum and became a regular on the servers, I discovered a place that I truly loved. This place was pretty much my only hangout spot throughout 8th grade and most of high school. Even if I did not have many friends to talk to at school, I was not lonely since I knew that my online friends would be on and ready to game.

This place is where I discovered the true internet. I got used to the trolls/minges, interacting with 'interesting' people, and seeing how weird the internet can be at times. In the past I was somewhat scared of the internet, since I had an outside view in. Once I got in, I realized that the internet was not as bad as advertised.

I have had my issues with various users that were VERY publicized in the past. Part of me regrets playing such a huge part of something so silly, but another part of me is glad I did. Not because I did it, but because it taught me how NOT to engage situations in were you think something fishy was going on.

I've seen hundreds of people on here that I knew by username come and go in the past, and it's kind of heartbreaking. I wish they could have stayed, but they have free will and can do whatever they want. It might seem that I kind of drifted away from here too, but I still am here. I just do not interact with people on here as much. I am still up for playing el video juegos with you guys (especially CSGO) if I have the time for it.

Even if I use other sites now way more than this one, the RND forums still holds a special place. It was the first community website that I frequented daily for years. It helped me get used to how people communicated on the internet and how to talk to others. I do not know what I would be doing right now if I did not ever discover this place.

Many people see playing video games as a waste of time, but I see it the other way. I see it as time earned; or time spent doing something I enjoy. I see my hours in GMOD, and think "Damn, I really spent around 2000 hours having fun with my RND peeps". I do not regret any of those thousands of hours playing or talking with you guys, maybe except when I had conflicts with some of you.

I would like to thank coolz for making all of this possible, and the community for existing. It may not seem like it, but you guys were a huge part of my teenage years. If I were to do it again, I would only play on the RND servers more. I believe that I would be a different person for the worse if I never discovered this community. It really opened up my mind to different things. Six years ago I was a 13 year old with like two RL friends that only could really connect to people if I talked about sports. Now I am a 20 year old that's into many things like anime or competitive CS, but has a group of friends despite being a huge nerd. I also learned that I had to stand up for myself if I wanted to get anything in life.

I might not be in the best of times right now, but I know that I had most of them in the past with you guys. I might have only went to one party in high school/college, but the amount of times I have hanged with you guys and raised hell in GMOD/other games is worth it.

I hope it was not too hard to read what I said above, since I do have a weird way of wording things. To put it in a short paragraph;

I am really glad I spent my teenage years with you guys and would do it again if I could. This is not a goodbye, but a thank you letter to the whole community. I will more than likely be here in a few months/years and if coolz tries another server comeback. If I ever become stupid rich, I will make Yomocorp a reality and help coolz & yomo end ddos and minges for good.

[YomoFox]

Your welcome

[ٶȻhriʂ]

his welcome

[Cable]

[yoshi]

No problem.

also, same.

[coolzeldad]

I know a lot of rNd peeps share the same feelings as you, as they have shared them with me in the past or posted on the forums, although I didn't always reply to them.

However, I'm always moved by them. I'm honestly grateful to have been able to forge not only the beginnings of rNd, in the corner of my room in an old scrapped pc (before yomocorp ofc), but more importantly because it facilitated the relationships with you rNd peeps.

rNd grew into something truly special for me. I've put countless hours and put off so many things I probably shouldn't have in order to keep things going at different times. Literally so many sleepless nights, high electricity bills, difficulties with other responsibilities, etc. But if I could share one thing that it taught me, even if it does sound cliche'd, was that you often have to sacrifice to succeed.

But with that, I have to say that it was always my intention to provide opportunities for people to have fun, exchange with each other, feel at home, and have a say in the community and help shape it into what it is (I always felt like there wasn't enough of that, and there wasn't really a place for that). And because of that, since the website in 2008, rNd was shaped by dedicated members like you who were finally able to connect on a single platform and it became something way more than I thought was possible. We were able to really collaborate on a variety of different stuff over the years, even if most of it wasn't released per say.

I still regret having to shutdown the servers at their peak, I think 9 gmod servers all full every day... that was so stressful for me actually haha, but I enjoyed it at a really fundamental level. I always wished for more time, because I was always full of ideas and you guys constantly gave suggestions (I saved all of them, I have everything lol). I fought a never ending battle with attempts at automation to free time, garry's mod quirks and limitations, and rl stuff - It was awesome. Oh, and I can't forget the days of ddos. In 2006, I had originally ran the build server and whatever else parallel on the same box on a home dsl connection maintained by an ISP modem... haha. Since then I had invested in building my own network infrastructure to minimize latency to the servers, prevent certain source engine attacks, redundancy to ddos (yomocorp certified popcorn ddos protection - known by some as something similar to a frying pan), etc.

I never shared too many details of my operations, as it can be a bit of a two way blade sometimes, but it's kind of cool in a timeline sense (maybe I'll make a quick rNd history montage video lol anyway).

I'll never forget any of you. I've seen your usernames in so many logs, member lists, applications, posts, steam chats, etc., etc. For most of you I probably know your original usernames I met you by and a few of your aliases over the years. It has been years by the way... so many of them it seems a bit unreal. I would like to thank all of you as well. I have learned much with you. I am always open to a steam chat for any of you, regardless of how long it's been since we've last talked or whatever.

I don't have any plans to stop hosting this, but maybe just keep changing this place to fit future ideas when I have time to implement them (and who knows, maybe they'll take off too).

And if I become rich... I always envisioned creating a company for rNd and employing the lot of you who were interested haha, but we'll see, we'll see...

I guess the last thing I wanna say for now, is that I don't want you to feel tied down by this community. If that's the case for any of you, maybe just think of it as an available space with friends, memories, and future prospects. I know I've had my share of issues with some members in the past as well, but I was always looking for the mutual ground. I'm happy to have had the opportunity to meet everyone I did through rNd and will always keep my doors open to talk with you, or whatever else happens. Also, I wanna say to not feel bad for coming and going, or not frequenting this place as much, that's just life changing a little bit.

Anyway, this is a little draft of some thoughts... you know I never really made tldr's a component in my long posts, making you guys suffer through the bitter length of my thought fragments, but maybe I'll make one today for the sake of your time.

tldr: Thanks for sharing, it means a lot. I always think about you guys. As rNd, we have made history together, many years of it, and I don't regret any of it. It grew into something special and I will never forget it.

[TehHank]

And if I become rich... I always envisioned creating a company for rNd and employing the lot of you who were interested haha, but we'll see, we'll see...

Holy shit all my want. We can sell all the pingaz we want 

[๖Ϝцzsioᴎ]

rnd feels

 i have something stuck in my eye brb

[yoshi]

i have something stuck in my eye brb

what'd you caught?

[Seb]

thanks for the social skills coolz

[Mr. Franklin]

The amount of emotions and memories going through my head reading all of this, I don't know what to type.

I mean in reality i freaking love this community, i will always love it.

[○ Μαρία ○]

It is always a little bitter sweet, to know that a lot of us have come and gone, and that many of us spend our time doing other things. Alas though, this is life. People move on to other things, other social groups; however the most important part is remembering where you came from and what shaped you. Rnd was a huge part of my life, I remember more about what I did with you hooligans than half of my school life. Not that that really mattered all too much to me. Whenever I got down I was always reminded that despite the bad things that could be happening in real life, I knew I always had a family here, with you guys.

We may do other things with our lives, but the fact that we always remember in our minds to come home and keep up with one another, well that just always really touches me. Rnd is one of those places that can never really die see, because it's player base was more than just there for gaming. No, it was there for friendship and bonds that can never be replaced. Those memories we made growing up, will always be with us, and that is really amazing. I feel just so honored, to have gotten to meet all of you, and experience and learn what I have. This place made a huge difference, for me, for you all, and that is the greatest gift I could have ever asked for.

Thank you Coolz. For giving us a place to have good times, bad times, and all the more to come. Because while we are still here, and keeping up with one another, rNd will always live on.

[Loke]

nobody called me a fag so you guys are pretty cool.

[Cheesicle]

The good ol' days :') Fucking around flood servers with Frank and Don... 'Twas many years ago

[Deathie]

The good ol' days :') Fucking around flood servers with Frank and Don... 'Twas many years ago

I was going through the old forums.

Hot damn did we have a lot of servers and traffic.